7 Signs You Have Termites — and What Each One Means

Termites are responsible for an estimated $5 billion in structural damage across the United States every year. The majority of that cost is not covered by standard homeowner's insurance. And in Southern California — where two active termite species operate year-round in our mild climate, where wood-frame construction is the standard, and where Los Angeles consistently ranks among the highest-risk metro areas in the country for termite activity — the question for most homeowners isn't really whether they'll encounter termites, but when, and whether they'll catch it early enough to matter.

The challenge is that termites are genuinely difficult to detect. Unlike a cockroach on the kitchen counter or a wasp nest under the eave, termite activity is almost entirely hidden. They feed from the inside of wood outward, working for months or years inside walls, floors, and structural members before producing any visible evidence at the surface.

Southern California is home to two primary termite species, and the signs they leave behind are different. Knowing which one you're dealing with matters because treatment approaches differ significantly between them.

Small, uniform, translucent wings — found in clusters near windowsills, sliding door tracks, exterior vents, or around indoor light fixtures. They're typically only a few millimeters long and may be scattered or piled. You've witnessed — or missed — a termite swarm. Swarming is how termite colonies reproduce: mature colonies send out winged reproductives to establish new colonies. Swarmers themselves don't cause structural damage. What they signal is that a mature, established colony is present nearby — because colonies must be at least two to five years old before they produce swarmers.

In Southern California, subterranean termites typically swarm in spring following rain events, when daytime temperatures rise and humidity increases. Drywood termites swarm later — most commonly September through November in coastal areas. Finding discarded wings confirms an existing mature colony that has already been feeding for years, not days.

Small piles of what appears to be fine sand, sawdust, or ground pepper on horizontal surfaces — window ledges, floors, furniture, baseboards. Under magnification, individual pellets are oval-shaped with six flattened sides and ridges running lengthwise. The color ranges from light tan to dark brown depending on the wood being consumed.

This is a drywood termite sign specifically. Unlike subterranean termites, which use their waste to construct mud tubes, drywood termites push their fecal pellets out of small kick-out holes — openings less than 2mm in diameter — to eject waste from their tunnels. The pile will keep reappearing after you sweep it away if the colony is still active. Sweep it, mark the date and location, and check back in 48 hours. If it's returned, the colony is actively feeding. Look near baseboards, below wooden window frames, along the tops of door frames, near attic access panels, and on any horizontal surface below exposed wooden structural members.

Narrow, pencil-width tubes of dried mud running along foundation walls, concrete piers, wooden posts, or across any exposed surface between the soil and wooden structural members. They're typically the color of the surrounding soil and can run vertically, horizontally, or at angles across whatever surface provides a path.

This is a subterranean termite sign specifically. Subterranean termites need moisture to survive and cannot tolerate exposure to open air. Mud tubes are how they travel between their underground colony and the wood they're feeding on — maintaining the temperature and humidity conditions they require.

When you tap on wood that has been termite-damaged — baseboards, door frames, structural posts, window sills, floor joists — it produces a hollow, papery sound rather than the solid thud of intact wood. In more advanced cases, the surface may appear blistered, buckled, or slightly sunken. Pressing a screwdriver into damaged wood meets less resistance than it should.

Termites consume wood from the inside outward, leaving a thin shell that maintains an appearance of structural integrity at the surface while the interior is largely gone. This sign appears with both drywood and subterranean termites, and it generally indicates a more advanced infestation — the colony has been present long enough to hollow out meaningful portions of structural members. Systematically tap along baseboards, door frames, window frames, any exposed wooden beams or posts, and subflooring near exterior walls. Pay particular attention to areas with a history of moisture.

Interior doors or windows that previously opened and closed smoothly begin to stick, bind, or require more effort to operate. Paint around door or window frames may show fine cracking or bubbling. This can appear suddenly, without any obvious cause like rain or seasonal humidity changes.

This is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed termite signs because homeowners attribute it to settling, humidity, or paint issues. When termites consume the wood inside door and window frames, the structural integrity of those members changes — they warp slightly, shift, and no longer hold their original alignment. Paint that bubbles or separates from wood near a frame without a nearby moisture source is another manifestation: termites working just below the surface cause the wood to expand and the paint to deform. When this appears alongside other signs on this list, or in a home with no recent moisture history in the affected areas, it warrants investigation.

Tiny, clean-edged circular or oval holes — typically less than 2mm in diameter — appearing on wooden surfaces: baseboards, door frames, window sills, exposed beams, wooden furniture, or attic framing. They may appear singly or in clusters. There may or may not be frass visible below them.

These are kick-out holes — the openings drywood termites create to eject frass from their tunnel system. Finding them without visible frass below doesn't mean the colony is inactive. Frass may have been swept away, or the holes may be on a vertical surface where it falls and scatters. The holes themselves are a direct indicator of drywood termite tunneling inside that piece of wood, and they help identify exactly where a targeted inspection should focus.

Live, winged insects — dark brown to black, roughly half an inch long, with two equal-length pairs of wings — appearing suddenly inside the home, typically near windows, light fixtures, or exterior doors. A swarm event can involve dozens to hundreds of these insects appearing within a short window of time, often on a warm afternoon following rain.

Finding swarmers outside near your home is concerning. Finding them inside is more so. Swarmers appearing from within walls, from attic spaces, or from floor-level gaps indicate that the colony producing them is located within the structure itself — not just nearby. This is among the most urgent signs on this list and should prompt immediate professional inspection.

Los Angeles and the surrounding region have among the highest termite pressure of any metro area in the country. The climate that makes Southern California such a desirable place to live — mild winters, warm dry summers, coastal humidity — creates nearly ideal conditions for both drywood and subterranean termites to remain active year-round. There's no hard winter to reduce populations or slow activity. Wood-frame construction across virtually all of the residential building stock means there's no shortage of food source. And continuous development across the region regularly displaces existing colonies into adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Regular inspections — not just when you suspect a problem, but as a matter of routine — are the most reliable way to catch termite activity before it becomes expensive. Most structural pest control professionals recommend an inspection every one to two years for homes in our region. For homes that have had prior termite activity, annual inspections are a reasonable standard.